ASUS Outs ZenFone 2 w/ 4GB RAM and ZenFone Zoom

ASUS has launched two new smartphones, or phablets to be precise, at this year's CES. These are the ZenFone 2 and the ZenFone Zoom. The ZenFone 2 boasts a 5.5-inch IPS display of 1080p resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. With a side bezel of only 3.3 mm, this smartphone has a high screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 chipset and is the first smartphone to rock 4GB RAM. It is equipped with a 13-MP f/2.0 primary camera with HDR, manual mode, and true tone LED flash. A 5-MP front camera with an 85-degree FOV plus a selfie panorama feature can also be found on it. ASUS' PixelMaster technology is, of course, still present, which promises to make low-light shots up to 400% brighter. The ZenFone 2 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with the new ZenUI on top, which includes the ZenMotion feature. It is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with fast charging technology. It will be available in Q2 of 2015 in Osmium Black, Sheer Gold, Glacier Gray, Glamor Red, and Ceramic White. The 2GB RAM/16GB version of the ZenFone 2 has a starting price of just $199.

Image by PhoneArena

Up next is the the ASUS ZenFone Zoom, which is a camera-centric smartphone. While its back side is reminiscent of the Nokia Lumia 1020 PureView back panel, the ZenFone Zoom will actually be competing with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. Like the ZenFone 2, it packs a 5.5-inch screen of 1080p resolution and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with the new ASUS ZenUI on top. As this is a smartphone with powerful imaging capabilities, the ZenFone Zoom is equipped with a 13-MP camera with 3x optical zoom, optical image stabilization (OIS), true tone LED flash, and laser auto-focus. It has a 10-element lens with a variable aperture ranging from f/2.7 to f/4.8. All these optics crammed into a body that is 11.95 mm thin are not bad at all especially when compared to the 16.6 mm thickness of the Galaxy K Zoom. Priced at $399, the ZenFone Zoom will be available in Meteorite Black and Glacier White in Q2 of 2015.